Tag Archives: lentils

Salad season is fast approaching. I am already craving crunch. This salad was inspired by all the French food I’ve been eating in San Francisco. It is particularly nice because you can make it ahead– It is actually better if you let it sit for an hour or two. It lasts several days in the fridge (well, not around here…). And it is not dependent on fragile, of-the-moment produce, so you can make it whenever the mood hits. The recipe calls for red wine vinegar, but go ahead and experiment. My absolute favorite, so far, is a combination of poppy (!) and sherry vinegar. The recipe makes about 4 cups. Enjoy!

Place diced onion in a bowl of ice water to cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Rinse and sort lentils. Combine lentils and 3 ¾ cups water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer gently until lentils are cooked, but still have a slight bite, about 25 minutes. Most of the water will have been absorbed. Drain briefly, if needed.

While lentils cook, make the dressing: Mince the garlic clove and mash it into a paste with the salt. Place this paste in the bottom of a medium-size mixing bowl. Add olive oil, vinegar(s), Dijon mustard, sugar, celery seed, red pepper flakes and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Whisk well to combine.

Toss still-warm lentils with dressing. Drain onions. Stir onions and celery into the lentils. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Like this:

This recipe was inspired by an interview I heard with with Madhur Jaffrey. Apparently, collard greens are a staple food in Kashmir province, often served as a main course with rice and dal. I couldn’t find collard greens at the market, so I used curly kale instead. I also combined the greens with the dal. The creamy lentils and chewy kale are almost addictive in their appeal. The spicing is subtle, the dish is all about texture. Be sure to taste for salt before serving, though. Chances are, you’ll need to add quite a bit. This makes 2-3 servings. Enjoy!

Rinse and sort lentils and place in a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam and stir in 1/8 tsp. of the turmeric. Partially cover pan. Turn down heat and simmer lentils until they begin to fall apart, about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop, about 1 minute. Add the remaining turmeric, cumin, coriander, and hot pepper and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add garlic and onion and cook over medium-low heat until soft, stirring frequently.

Add half the chopped greens to the skillet. Use tongs to press and toss greens into the oil and spice mixture, adding a little more oil to the pan if necessary. Turn heat up to medium. Cover and steam greens a little to wilt them down. Add remaining greens to the pan and toss mixture again. Add a tablespoon or so of water to the pan and cover. Cook covered greens until soft and wilted, about five minutes, taking care to stir them once or twice to promote even cooking. Remove cover and cook off any excess liquid.

Stir tamarind paste into 1 T. of hot water. Mix into the lentils. Add the lentil mixture into the kale and stir to combine. Add salt to taste. Bring back to a simmer. Serve with hot cooked rice and lime wedges on the side.